Tornado alarm system

• US 8,179,252 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pamela Lynn Harrell
• Original Assignee: Pamela Lynn Harrell
• Inventors: Harrell, Pamela Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mortell, John
• Application Number:
  US12/794,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20100245095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/00 in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather

Abstract

A severe weather alarm configured for actuation by the occurrence of a single type of weather phenomena is disclosed. In one embodiment an alarm includes a portable housing; an audio siren configured to actuate upon an occurrence of a predetermined event; a receiver to receive signals and Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) messages at one or more National Weather Service (NWS) weather radio frequencies; a digital decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for a single weather warning message event code and a Required Weekly Test (RWT) code; a processor coupled to the receiver and the digital decoder to control the receiver and decoder and to actuate the audio siren upon the occurrence of the predetermined event; a power source; and a memory for storing signal values, frequencies, message values, and geographical codes.

Claims

1. A single event severe weather alarm comprising:

a portable electronic device housing;

an audio siren, having a volume preset to remain unmanipulated by an operator, and thus not raised, lowered, or turned off, disposed within the housing and configured to actuate upon an occurrence of a predetermined specific weather phenomenon and to very loudly indicate with a loud alarm with no voice, once actuated, the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon;

a Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) broadcast receiver disposed within the housing and configured to receive signals transmitted to a specific geographic area and configured to receive SAME messages at one or more National Weather Service (NWS) weather radio frequencies;

a digital decoder disposed within the housing coupled to the SAME broadcast receiver and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for a single weather warning message event code, indicative of the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon, and a Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

a processor coupled to the receiver and the digital decoder configured to control the SAME broadcast receiver and decoder and to actuate the audio siren upon the occurrence of the predetermined specific weather phenomenon;

a power source;

a memory for storing a plurality of signal values and frequencies, a plurality of message values, and a plurality of geographical codes, even after an interruption in the power source;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

a “

mute”

selection, a “

back”

selection, an “

enter”

selection, a “

frequency”

selection, and a “

county”

selection each disposed upon the user interface;

a visual display coupled to the user interface; and

a signal strength indicator visible on the visual display;

a flip cover, configured to operatively cover the visual display; and

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a geographical location and a signal strength indication; and

wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a frequency determination from review of the signal strength indicator.

2. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, wherein the single warning message event code is the Tornado Warning code (TOR).

3. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a county code indicator visible on the visual display;

wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select an applicable county code based on a geographical location or to leave the county code field without a data input in order to default to all counties within a local range of the weather alarm.

4. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a sub-county code indicator visible on the visual display, indicative of a region within a county;

wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select an applicable sub-county code based on geography or to leave the sub-county code field without a data input in order to default to all regions within a county.

5. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a software implemented logic circuit coupled to the digital decoder and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for single the warning message event code and the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

wherein the processor is configured to deny access by an operator of the single event severe weather alarm to the digital decoder.

6. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery backup system disposed within the housing to provide power to the single event severe weather alarm and to provide portability of the single event severe weather alarm.

7. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a test indicator light, controlled by the processor, to indicate a current state of the single event severe weather alarm and to indicate whether the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code was processed properly.

8. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 7, wherein the test indicator is configured to illuminate regularly in a first color and subsequently to change illumination to a second color upon receipt and process of the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code.

9. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a retractable electrical prong assembly to plug the single event severe weather alarm into a traditional power source outlet and with which to mount the alarm flush to a wall surface.

10. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, further comprising:

a strobe light disposed with the housing to indicate to those who cannot hear that the siren has been activated.

11. The single event severe weather alarm of claim 1, wherein the single event severe weather alarm is hardwired into a traditional wiring system within a building;

and wherein the power source is a power supply of the building.

12. A tornado warning device comprising:

a portable electronic device housing;

an audio siren, having a volume preset to remain unmanipulated by an operator, and thus not raised, lowered, or turned off, disposed within the housing and configured to actuate upon an occurrence of a predetermined specific weather phenomenon and to very loudly indicate with a loud alarm with no voice, once actuated, the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon;

a Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) broadcast receiver disposed within the housing and configured to receive signals transmitted to a specific geographic area and configured to receive SAME messages at one or more National Weather Service (NWS) weather radio frequencies;

a digital decoder disposed within the housing coupled to the SAME broadcast receiver and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for a single weather warning message type of Tornado Warning code (TOR), indicative of the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon, and a Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

a processor coupled to the receiver and the digital decoder configured to control the SAME broadcast receiver and decoder and to actuate the audio siren upon the occurrence of the predetermined specific weather phenomenon;

a power source;

a memory for storing a plurality of signal values and frequencies, a plurality of message values, and a plurality of geographical codes, even after an interruption in the power source; and

a test indicator light, controlled by the processor, to indicate a current state of the single event severe weather alarm and to indicate whether the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code was processed properly, wherein the test indicator is configured to illuminate in a first color and to change illumination to a second color upon receipt and process of the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

a “

mute”

selection, a “

back”

selection, an “

enter”

selection, a “

frequency”

selection, and a “

county”

selection each disposed upon the user interface;

a visual display coupled to the user interface; and

a flip cover, configured to operatively cover the visual display;

a signal strength indicator visible on the visual display;

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a geographical location and a signal strength indication; and

wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a frequency determination from review of the signal strength indicator.

13. The tornado warning device of claim 12, further comprising:

a signal strength indicator visible on the visual display, wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a frequency determination from review of the signal strength indicator;

a county code indicator visible on the visual display, wherein the processor is configured to allow the operator, through the user interface, to select an applicable county code based on a geographic location or to leave the county code field without a data input in order to default to all counties with a local range of the weather alarm; and

a sub-county code indicator visible on the visual display, indicative of a region within a county, wherein the processor is configured to allow the operator, through the user interface, to select an applicable sub-county code based on geography or to leave the sub-county code field without a data input in order to default to all regions within a county.

14. The tornado warning device of claim 12, further comprising:

a retractable electrical prong assembly to plug the single event severe weather alarm into a traditional power source outlet and with which to mount the alarm to a wall surface;

a strobe light to indicate to those who cannot hear that the siren has been activated;

a software implemented logic circuit coupled to the digital decoder and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for single the warning message event code and the Required Weekly Test (RWT) codes, wherein the processor is configured to deny access by an operator of the single event severe weather alarm to the digital decoder; and

a battery backup system disposed within the housing to provide power to the single event severe weather alarm and to provide portability of the single event severe weather alarm;

wherein the volume of the audio siren is preset to remain unmanipulated by an operator, and thus not raised, lowered, or turned off; and

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on geography and signal strength.

15. A method to indicate the occurrence of a severe weather alert, the method comprising:

providing a single event severe weather alarm having;

a portable electronic device housing;

an audio siren, having a volume preset to remain unmanipulated by an operator, and thus not raised, lowered, or turned off, disposed within the housing and configured to actuate upon an occurrence of a predetermined specific weather phenomenon and to very loudly indicate with a loud alarm with no voice, once actuated, the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon;

a Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) broadcast receiver disposed within the housing and configured to receive signals transmitted to a specific geographic area and configured to receive SAME messages at one or more National Weather Service (NWS) weather radio frequencies;

a digital decoder disposed within the housing coupled to the SAME broadcast receiver and configured to filter out all SAME messages except for a single weather warning message event code, indicative of the occurrence of the specific weather phenomenon, and a Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

a processor coupled to the receiver and the digital decoder configured to control the SAME broadcast receiver and decoder and to actuate the audio siren upon the occurrence of the predetermined specific weather phenomenon;

a power source;

a memory for storing a plurality of signal values and frequencies, a plurality of message values, and a plurality of geographical codes, even after an interruption in the power source;

a test indicator light, controlled by the processor, to indicate a current state of the single event severe weather alarm and to indicate whether the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code was processed properly, wherein the test indicator is configured to illuminate in a first color and to change illumination to a second color upon receipt and process of the Required Weekly Test (RWT) code;

a user interface coupled to the processor, a “

mute”

selection, a “

back”

selection, an “

enter”

selection, a “

frequency”

selection, and a “

county”

selection each disposed upon the user interface;

a visual display coupled to the user interface;

a flip cover, configured to operatively cover the visual display; and

a signal strength indicator visible on the visual display;

wherein the processor is configured to automatically select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a geographical location and a signal strength indication; and

wherein the processor is configured to allow an operator, through the user interface, to select the frequency of reception of the receiver based on a frequency determination from review of the signal strength indicator;

determining whether a county code has been selected for the alarm;

selecting, if not previously selected or if reselecting, a county code;

filtering the receiver for the county code selected;

receiving SAME messages;

processing the received SAME messages to identify whether the a single weather warning message event code has been received, and upon receipt of the a single weather warning message event code to actuate the audio siren; and

processing received SAME messages to identify whether a Required Weekly Test (RWT) code has been received, and upon receipt of the RWT code to actuate the test indicator light to indicate the state of the alarm and the last weekly test.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the single warning message event code is the Tornado Warning code (TOR).